The Role of the Milwaukee Child Welfare Partnership Council

Citizen Review Panels for Child Protective Services are groups of citizen-volunteers throughout the United States who are federally
mandated to evaluate local and state child protection systems. The panels are required to submit an annual report to the federal children’s
bureau each year that outlines the panel’s activities and make recommendations to the state child protective system to strengthen its
services.

The Milwaukee Child Welfare Partnership Council has been designated the Citizen Review Panel for Milwaukee County.
Under Chapter 48 (Section 562) Children’s Code, its duties are:

Hold at least one public hearing
each year at which the council shall encourage public
participation and solicit public input regarding the
child welfare system in Milwaukee County.

Recommend policies and plans for
the improvement of the child welfare system in
Milwaukee County and submit its
recommendations with respect to those policies and plans
to the department.

Recommend measures for evaluating
the effectiveness of the child welfare system in
Milwaukee County, including
outcome measures, and submit its recommendations with
respect to those measures to the department.

Recommend funding priorities for
the child welfare system in Milwaukee County and submit its
recommendations with respect to those funding priorities
to the department.

Identify innovative public and
private funding opportunities for the child welfare
system in Milwaukee County
and submit its recommendations with respect to those
funding opportunities to the department.

Annually, submit a report of its
recommendations to the department, which within 60 days
after receiving the report shall prepare a response to
those recommendations and transmit the report, together
with its response, to the governor and to the
appropriate standing committees of the legislature.

Advise the department in planning,
and providing technical assistance and capacity building
to support, a neighborhood-based system for the delivery
of child welfare services in Milwaukee County.

The Milwaukee Child Welfare Partnership Council was
established through 1995
WI Act 303 as an advisory body to the State regarding child welfare services in
Milwaukee County.
Quarterly meetings are open to the public. Membership includes the following:

Three members of the Milwaukee County
Board of Supervisors
nominated by the County Executive;

Two state representatives, one appointed
by the Speaker of the Assembly and one appointed by the Assembly
minority leader;

Two state senators, one appointed by the
Senate President and the other by Senate Minority Leader;

Nine state residents, with not less than
six being residents of Milwaukee County; and